


New Year's Stunner

by DanieXJ



Series: A Year [5]
Category: ER
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 14:33:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3071672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanieXJ/pseuds/DanieXJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kim is surprised on New Year's Eve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Year's Stunner

“Are you bummed, I bet you’re bummed. I would have switched with you Kerry, but… I’m here too.”

Kerry put a hand up to hopefully make Archie stop talking, “It’s okay Archie. I’m not… bummed.”

“Oh, but don’t you…” Kerry gave Archie a death look and Archie lowered his voice, “...going out with the Chief of Psych?”

Kerry shook her head, “The County General grapevine is as robust as ever.”

Archie’s expression changed to a serious one, a somewhat rare occurrence for him, “Kerry, should I --forget-- the tidbits I’ve heard? Tell everyone else to forget them too?”

Kerry shook her head, a slight smile on her face, “No-no. We’re not hiding, just keeping a low profile.”

Archie nodded, “In that case, I call Best Man.”

Kerry rolled her eyes, “No Archibald. And, if I do choose to do that again in my life, it’ll be my son who’s Best Man.”

Archie made a face, half smirk, half good natured joking, “Oh right… the son.”

Kerry shook her head as a resident came up to Archie. “That reminds me. If you want me to look over your grant application before you send it out Archie, get it to me before the end of shift.”

Archie nodded, slipping into doctor mode easily, and as if they hadn’t just been talking about Kerry’s love life. “Will do. I’ll put it in your locker.”

Kerry went one way and Archie and the resident the other. It wasn’t a super busy beginning of the New Year’s Eve shift. A couple of broken bones, some flu. It picked up a little when the EMTs brought a young man with shattered legs in. Kerry had gotten his chart, started his work up, and then called for a psych consult.

She smiled to herself when it was Kim who appeared at the stairwell door. But it turned to a mostly internal frown for a moment, but only a moment, she and Kim were all business as they met by the admit desk. "Exam two." She handed over the chart. "I could be wrong, but..."

Kim looked it over briefly, then shook her head, "You're probably not wrong."

Kerry gestured towards the break room, "I'll be in there when you're done."

With that, the parted. A while later Kim appeared at the doorway, "Good reading?"

Kerry put down Archie's grant application. "Actually yes. But that's not why you're in here."

"I'm going to take him up for a 72 hour hold."

"Did he agree to it?"

Kim nodded, "You know he doesn't have to, but, yes, he did. Could I steal a couple of nurses to get him up there through?"

"Take Malik and Jamie, and I'll loop Ortho in on where you're taking him."

Kim put a hand to her chest, "Oh thank heavens."

Kerry rolled her eyes, "Go-- go-- I have real work to do. We all can't just... talk... all day."

Kim laughed and came over to Kerry. Leaning down she stole a kiss. "It's a good thing you're gorgeous Kerry Weaver."

Kerry smiled, but shook her head as Kim left. Her fingers strayed to her lips for a second, before she shook herself out of her reverie, and focused on Archie's paperwork again.

oOOOOo

Kim came back down to the ER a few minutes before midnight, but she didn't see Kerry. Only Archie, "Hey Archie-- where's Doctor Weaver?"

Archie gestured in an upward motion with his head, since he had a chart in each hand, "Up on the roof I think."

"But it's freezing up there."

Archie shrugged, "Don't look at me. I just work here."

oOOOOo

"Ker, you up here?"

"Yes."

Kim followed Kerry's voice. She stood at the edge of the roof, looking out over a chest high wall towards the rest of the city. Kim put the jacket she'd brought around Kerry. The redhead only had on her lab coat. "Hey, what's up. It's freezing Ker."

Kerry kept staring out at Chicago. "What are we doing? What am I doing?"

"Freezing your ass off mostly, and now freezing my ass off as well."

That didn't seem to be where Kerry had been going. "You came out of the stairwell, and, it was like 14 years melted away. The flutter was the same from back then, and... everything else as well… and I wasn’t even looking at you."

"No." Kerry looked over at Kim, who had a grimace on her face, "No. You're not doing this again. Is it everyone knowing or..."

Kerry shook her head, "No, that's not it... The grapevine is way ahead of us, they know all." Kerry looked away again, "It's not just you. Why did I come back?"

"Your son."

Kerry sighed, "That's what I tell the world. Carlos, Eddie, the rest of the Lopezes are here. But, his grandparents moved down to Florida, where we were..."

Kim leaned her forearms against the wall and stared out at Chicago as well, "Then, why did you move back."

"It's easy. The job, the politics, this is where... it's easy."

Kim shook her head, "Ker-- Kerry, you're talking like being in a job that you like, that's not stressful and horrible is a bad thing. Hey--" Kerry looked over, "Maybe you deserve a little easy." 

After a moment, understanding dawned on Kim's face, "You said that you and Sandy, there were bumps, that it was a bumpy road. You don't trust this-- us-- because it's easy."

Kerry nodded, "That's why I'm up here. Trying to figure out if I want to trust what we seem to still have, or not."

"And?"

"You know. I've never done this before."

Kim looked totally and utterly confused, "This?"

Kerry nodded, "It didn't exist until this year. Not here. And, I guess it could be worse. I could be trying to do it with my crutch as well. And, it will of course be subject to veto by Ingrid or Henry."

Kim cut Kerry off, "Kerry, what are you..."

Kerry took both of Kim's hands in her own, "Kimberly Gabrielle Legaspi, will you marry me?"

Kim's mouth opened, then closed with a click. Then opened again, but still, no words or sounds came out.

Kerry just stood there. Waiting as Kim processed, or went into some sort of fugue state, Kerry wasn’t sure which.

Finally a word was successfully spoken by Kim, “Yes.”

Kerry smiled and pulled Kim to her by the lapels of her coat. They kissed, and Kim only pulled away when her watch started making a horrendous noise that could have passed for an alarm. Kim gave Kerry a sheepish smile, “Sorry. I came up here to surprise you. I guess it didn’t really work out huh?”

Kerry lay her head against Kim’s chest and Kim put her arms around the shorter woman. “Nah, I think it worked out fine.”

“Nah?”

Kerry glanced up, “What can I say, your Laissez-faire attitude towards the English language must be rubbing off on me.”

Kim pulled away from Kerry just a bit and narrowed her eyes, “You know. I never said that it was my final answer. Just-- an answer.”

Kerry laughed, “So, you had a midnight New Year’s Eve kiss planned?”

“Yeah, it was gonna be damn romantic too.” Kim smiled, “I think yours was better.” Kim paused, “And, I have to say this. It’s only been one month…”

Kerry looked as though she’d been prepared for Kim’s question. “A… I do believe that you were the one who wanted to tell me that you loved me first. and, B… it’s been 7 months actually.”

Kim did the math in her head then glanced over Kerry’s shoulder. Kerry could tell from the glint in her eyes that she was looking into the past. “I’m… it’s the first time I’ve been asked you know. If you wondered, which you probably didn’t, but…”

Kerry kissed Kim silent. “Tell me how she did it. 49ers game, Giants?”

Kim smiled, “Horribly actually. We were stopped at a stop light.” Kerry blinked, perfectly still. Kim looked down, “What?”

“I--” A smile slowly came to her lips, “You must have really loved her.”

“I do. I did love her.” Kim cleared her throat and changed the subject, “And Sandy, did you two ever talk about getting married? Or, joined, having a commitment ceremony, I guess back then neither of us were getting formally married huh.”

Kerry shook her head, “We didn’t. But, it didn’t matter. I loved her.” Kerry looked up at Kim, “And I love you.”

“I love you too Ker.” And kissed Kerry as fireworks went off at the Navy Pier.


End file.
